The present invention relates to laser gyros and more particularly to a resonant waveguide laser gyro with a switched source.
In U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 589,711 filed Mar. 15, 1984, and entitled "Thin Film Passive Ring Resonator Laser Gyro" there was disclosed a passive ring resonator laser gyro employing electro-optic modulators to provide frequency shifting of the laser beam by a linear change in phase with time. The use of active elements in the waveguide structure such as electro-optic modulators introduces noise which degrades the signal. In addition, the inclusion of active elements increases manufacturing complexity and cost.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a passive ring resonator laser gyro without the need for active elements in the waveguide structure such as separate frequency control devices.
Yet another object of the invention is such a passive ring resonator laser gyro having less noise and therefore better signal quality.
It is still another object of the invention to provide such a laser gyro which is less complex to manufacture and has a lower cost.